1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface mounting type of connector for IC (integrated circuit) cards, which connector is to be assembled into an electronic communication equipment or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
There has hitherto been known such a connector for IC cards as is connected to two IC cards.
In this kind of connector there are disposed in a connector main body, in a vertical (i.e., up and down) positional relationship to each other, two sets of electric contacts which are respectively connected to connectors of the two IC cards. Each set of electric contacts are arranged with their contact portions being arranged in two upper and lower rows so as to lie in the right and left direction. Its terminal portions are arranged in a single row so as to lie in the right and left direction. The terminal portions are inserted into perforations which are formed in an electrically conductive portion of a wiring circuit board, and are thereafter soldered for mounting on the wiring circuit board.
In this type of connector there are disadvantages in that, when it is mounted on the wiring circuit board on both sides of which are mounted semiconductors and other circuit parts or devices, the ratio of mounting (or packaging) the parts (or devices) onto the wiring circuit board becomes smaller, and that their mounting is time-consuming. It is therefore desirable to improve the connector to a surface mounting type.
However, in case the connector having the above-described construction of arranging electric contacts is improved by modification into a surface mounting type of connector, there are the following problems. Namely, when the terminal portions of the electric contacts are soldered to electrically conductive pads of the wiring circuit board, the solder may sometimes short-circuit the electrically conductive pads. Or else, in order to enable to repair the terminal portions in case they fail to be correctly bonded or soldered to the electrically conductive pads, it is necessary to arrange two upper and lower sets of electric contacts which are respectively arranged in a row and in parallel with each other further into a single row which extends outside the connector main body. If this kind of arrangement is employed, when the respective pitch of arrangement in the two upper and lower rows within each set of electric contacts is as small as 1.27 mm, for example, the pitch at the terminal portions of each set as arranged into a single row becomes as small as 0.635 mm. The pitch becomes further as small as half the above figure when the two sets are arranged into a single row. It follows that they cannot practically be used or put into commercial use.
An object of the present invention is to provide a surface mounting type of connector for IC cards comprising a connector main body having two sets of electric contacts for connection to electric contacts of respective connector portions in two IC cards, contact portions of each set of the electric contacts being disposed in two rows in one direction to lie in a direction perpendicular to said one direction, in which the electric contacts can be easily soldered to electrically conductive pads of the wiring circuit board even if the pitch of arrangement of the electric contacts is small, in which the short-circuiting with the solder at the time of soldering and/or incomplete soldering of the terminal portions of the electric contacts to the electrically conductive pads can be easily repaired, and in which the ratio of mounting or packaging of the parts or devices onto the wiring circuit board can be improved.